Russia: Life under Stalin Flashcards
(40 cards)
1
Q
What was detailed in Lenin’s testament?
A
That he would have preffered Trotsky to take over from him (described as ‘probably the most capable man in the present Central Committee”) than Stalin (Lenin stated he was ‘not sure whether he will always be capable of using [his] authority with sufficient caution”)
Testament was never published in Russia, giving Stalin greater chance of sucess against Trotsky
2
Q
What were Trotsky’s mistake in the battle for leadership with Stalin?
A
- Seriously underestimated Stalin, as did other contenders - all more concerned with each other and didn’t see Stalin as threat (allowed Stalin to become, unknowingly to the others, steadily more powerful)
- He argued that future security of Russia was in spreading permanent revolution across the globe - many were worried that he would involve USSR in more conflicts and that his radical policies might split party
3
Q
3 things…
How did Stalin’s cunning win the battle for leadership?
A
- Made great effort to associate himself with Lenin wherever possible - tricked Trotsky into thinking Lenin’s funeral was a day before it actually was, meaning Trotsky missed the funeral and Stalin appeared as chief mourner and closest comerade and follower
- Took on many important jobs within party like General Secretary, and used the positions to put own supporters into important posts and remove supporters of opponents
- His policies were met with greater favours than Trotsky’s e.g. established “Socialism in One Country” instead of spreading it worldwide, appealing to Russian’s sense of nationalism
By 1929 he was the unchallenged leader
4
Q
How did Stalin’s luck help him win the battle for leadership?
A
Trotsky fell ill in late 1923 with malaria-like infection - just when Lenin was dying and he needed to be his most active.
5
Q
What are the 5 reasons as to why Stalin wanted to modernise the USSR?
A
- Ideology
- Personal reputation
- Socialism in one country
- Security
- Power and control
6
Q
I…
Explain the 1st reason as to why Stalin wanted to modernise the USSR.
A
- Communist theory said that most people had to be workers for communism to work
- In 1928 only about 1 in 5 Russians were industrial workers
- Stalin was trying to build power base of industrial workers who he hoped would benefit from industrialisation and so would support him
7
Q
S…
Explain the 4th reason as to why Stalin wanted to modernise the USSR?
A
- WW1 had shown that country could only fight modern war if it had industries to produce weapons and other equipment needed - immposible to equip army with rifles and uniforms without factories to make them
- These factories needed iron, steel, textiles and other resources to do this, and without coal and electricity to power them there wouldn’t be factories anyway
- Also planned for many of new industrial projects to be further east in USSR, safer from invasion
8
Q
What were the Five year plans (5YP’s)?
A
- Plans drawn up by GOSPLAN, state planning organisation set up by Lenin in 1921
- Set ambitious targets for production in vital heavy industries (coal, iron, oil, electricity)
- Plans were complex but were set out so that by 1929 every worker knew what they had to achieve
9
Q
6 points…
Describe the first 5yp.
A
- First 5yp (from 1928-32) focused on major industries and although most targets weren’t met, achievements were still staggering - USSR increased production and created foundation on which to build next 5yp’s
- Whole cities build from nothing (e.g. Magnitogorsk) and workers taken out to new industrial centres
- New dams and hydroelectric power fed industry’s energy requirements
- New Russian ‘experts’ flooded into Muslim republics in C. Asia like Uzbeck and Kazak, creating industry from scratch in previously underdeveloped areas
10
Q
Describe second 5yp.
A
- Second 5yp (1933-37) build on achievements of first
- Heavy industry still priority but other areas also developed
- Mining for lead, zinc, tin and other materials intensified as Stalin further exploited Siberia’s rich mineral resources
- Transport and communications also boosted, new railways and canals built (e.g. Moscow underground railway)
- Stalin also wanted industrialistion to improve Russia’s agriculture and production of tractors and other farm machinery increased
11
Q
Describe the third 5yp.
A
- Thrid 5yp begun in 1938, where some factories were to swtich to production of consumer goods
- Plan disrupted by WW2
12
Q
What was the impact of the 5yp’s on targets, hard work and propaganda?
A
- Many foreign experts and engineers called in to supervise work, who marveled at toughness of Russian people
- Workers constantly bombarded by propaganda, posters, slogans and radio broadcasts - all had strict targets to meet and were fined if they weren’t met
- Most famous worker was Alexei Stakhanov:
- In 1935, with 2 helpers and easy coal seam to work on, he managed to cut an amazing 102 tons of coal in one shift (14 times the average for 1 shift!)
- He became ‘Hero of Socialist labour’, and propaganda machine encourgaed all soviet workers to be Stakhanovites
13
Q
What was the impact of the 5yp’s on slave labour?
A
- On great engineering projects like dams and canal, many workers were prisoners who were sentenced to hard labour for being political or suspected opponents of Stalin, or being Kulaks or Jews
- Many other prisoners were simply unfortunate workers who had accidents or made mistakes in work and been guilty of ‘sabotage’
- On these major projects, conditions were appaling and there were many deaths and accidents - it’s estimated that 100,000 workers died in construction of Belomor canal
14
Q
What was the impact of the 5yp’s on wages and living conditions?
A
- In towns and cities, most housing was provided by state, but overcrowding was problem
- Most families lived in flats and were crowded into 2 rooms, used for living, sleeping and eating
- Wages actually fell between 1928-37
- In 1932 husband and wife who both worked earned as much as one person had in 1928
- At same time, concentration on heavy industry meant that there were few consumer goods that ordinary people wanted to buy
15
Q
What was the impact of the 5yp’s on repression?
A
- Stalin was also prepared to destroy way of life of soviet people to help industrialisation
- E.g. in republics of central Asia, influence of Islam was thought to hold back industrialisation, so from 1928-32 it was repressed
- Many muslim leaders imprisoned or deported, mosques closed and pilgirmages to Mecca forbidden
16
Q
What was the impact of the 5yp’s on punishments and blame?
A
- Factory discipline was strict and punishments severe
- Lateness or absence punished by sacking, which often meant losing your flat or house as well
- In rush to fulfil targets, many products were poor quality
- Some factories overproduced massively while others had to shut down for short periods as they couldn’t get parts and raw materials
- Blaming workers was good way of excusing mistakes made by management, although many workers were unskilled ex-peasants, and did sometimes cause damage to machinery and equipment
Things did improve under 2nd and 3rd 5yp’s though
17
Q
What was the impact of the 5yp’s on training?
A
- By late 1930’s many soviet workers had improved their conditions by aquiring well-paid skilled jobs and earning bonuses for meeting targets
- Unemployment almost non-existent
- In 1940 USSR had more doctors per head of population than Britain
- Education became free and compulsory for all, and Stalin invested huge sums in training schemes based in colleges and the workplace
18
Q
What was the impact of the 5yp’s on women workers?
A
- First 5yp revealed shortage of workers, so from 1930, Gov concentrated on drafting more women into industry
- Set up thousands of new daycare centres and creches so mothers could work
- By 1937 women were 40% of industrial workers (compared to 28% in 1927), 21% of building workers and 72% of health workers
- 4 out of 5 new workers recruited between 1932-37 were women
19
Q
What were the overall achievements of the 5yp’s?
A
- There was much ineffciency, duplication of effort and waste
- There was also immense human cost - one feature of plans was building projects e.g. Dnieprostroi Dam, used as a showcase of soviet achievement, and Moscow metro, but thousands of workers were killed in making them
- However by 1937 USSR was modern, industrial state, and it was this that saved it from defeat when Hitlet invaded in 1941
20
Q
Why did Stalin want to modernise soviet agriculture - feeding the workers?
A
- For enormous changes of 5yps to be sucessful, Stalin needed to modernise agriculture as well - it was the biggest single resource of the USSR
- Vast majority of Russians worked in agriculture and he wanted to make fullest use of this resource
- Industrialisation created huge army of workers living in new towns who needed to be fed, but as early as 1928 country was already 2 mil tons short of grain needed to feed its workers
- USSR was importing food, which was bad from economic pov, and was also humiliating from political view that country with such huge agricultural resources couldn’t feed its own people
21
Q
What are Kulaks?
A
Richer peasants who owned agricultural land and employed agricultural labourers
22
Q
6 things…
Why did Stalin want to modernise soviet agriculture - ending NEP
A
- NEP proved popular with peasants, especially kulaks
- Kulaks usually owned more and better land than average peasant meaning they could grow more food and sell surplus food for profit
- NEPmen also benefitted, as they bought surplus food from peasants and kulaks and sold it in towns and cities for profit
- Stalin built lots of support for ‘Socialism in One Country’ within communist party, and had also undermined Bukharin by opposing NEP
- He also knew that Kulaks and NEPmen would never support him, and thought by removing them he could replace them with peasants who would gain from his new agricultural policies and so be more loyal to him
- Struggle between Stalin and kulaks and other peasants who opposed him was bitter and incredicbly destructive
To stalin it was unacceptable to have countryside operating the old NEP
23
Q
Why would making peasants work on larger farms be beneficial?
A
- Would be easier to make efficient use of tractors, fertilizers and other modern farming methods, producing more food
- Mechanised farming would require fewer workers and release large no. of peasants to work in growing industries
- Easier to collect grain and taxes from larger farms
- More socialist way of farming as farmers would co-operate rather than selling own food for profit
24
Q
Describe the problem of resistance around collectivisation.
A
- Peasants didn’t want to hand over their animals and tools and be ordered around by farm managers - all they wanted was to farm own piece of land without Gov interference, which applied partially to kulaks
- Massive propaganda campaign was organised to inform peasants of advantages of joining collective farm
- Some did join, but many resisted bitterly - they preffered to slaughter and eat own animals, burn their crops and even their houses rather than allow them to be taken, and there was even armed resistance in some areas
25
Describe the problem of deportation around collectivisation.
* **Gov blamed kulaks for all the trouble** and Stalin announced that "We must liquidate the kulaks as a class"
* In practise, anyone who resisted became a kulak
* **Peasants were rounded up and deported** in huge numbers to remote areas in Siberia or to labour camps, while others fled to cities
26
Describe the problem of famine around collectivisation.
* This process in 1930-32 **caused huge disruption in countryside and there were severe food shortages**
* This, combined with poor harvest in 1932, **led to famine on unimaginable scale**, particularly in Ukraine, from 1932-33
* **Gov wouldn't acknowledge famine** and still sent out requisitioning gangs to collect grain for workers and to export abroad
* **Millions starved**, perhaps as many as 13 mil people - way of life of millions of peasants was destroyed
27
What was the overall impact of collectivisation?
* By 1934 there were no kulaks left
* By 1941 **almost all agricultural land was collectivised**
* After this period, countryide settled down and gradually more grain was produced, although **no. of animals didn't reach pre-collectivisation levels until 1940**
* **Stalin had achieved aim**: established control of grain supply, collectivised peasants, and had ready supply of labour for factories
28
How did Stalin control the USSR using terror?
* This had been feature of Tsar's regime
* He was **determined to crush any oppostion** from inside or outside of communist party
* Used his secret police, the NKVD, and labour camps called gulags to **terrorise his people into obedience**
29
How did the 'purges' start?
* By 1934, **some leading communists wanted to slow pace of industrialisation** to make life more bearable for ordinary russians, so when **Sergei Kirov** suggested this at party conference he was widely supported, with **talks of him even replacing Stalin as leader**
* Soon after, **he was myseriously murdered** (prob on Stalin's orders) then Stalin used this as excuse to 'purge' communist party of his opponents
30
How did Stalin control the USSR with purges?
* **Arranged series of trials where leading Bolsheviks confessed to their crimes**, prob because of torture of threat to their families
* In the first big trial in 1936 Kamenev and Zinoviev were tried with 14 others, and Bukharin in 1938
* The purges were not restricted to leading party members - **around 500,000 communist party members were arrested** and either executed or sent to gulags
* Anyone who stood in way of industrialisation or collectivisation might be deported or executed, and **anyone suspected of disloyalty was arrested**
* Stalin also purged army, removing 25,000 officers (around 1 in 5), including its supreme commander
* By 1937, **its estimated that 18 mill people were transported to labour camps, and ten mill died**
31
What was Stalin's new constitution and how did he use it to control the USSR?
* In 1936 Stalin created new constitution for USSR, which gave people freedom of speech and free elections
* Was only a cosmetic measure
* Only communist party candidates were allowed to stand in elections and only approved newspapers and magazines could be published
32
# CoS!!
How did Stalin use propaganda to control the USSR?
* Many soviet **people admired and loved Stalin**, and saw him as great leader driving them towards a great future, mostly because of propaganda
* They created a **'cult of personality'** - there were photos and statues everywhere, processions in praise of Stalin were held regularly - **he was presented almost god-like**
* He had **history books rewritten** to show himself and Lenin as only real heroes of the revolution, while others like Trotsky were removed from story
33
How did Stalin control Religion?
* Many churches closed, priests deported and churcg buildings pulled down, and priests not allowed to vote
* BY 1939 only 1 in 40 churches still held regular services in USSR
* Muslims banned from practising Islamic law and women were encouraged to abandon the veil
* In 1917 there were 26,000 mosques in Russia compared to 1300 in 1939
34
How did Stalin control music and arts?
* Poets and playwrights **praised Stalin** either praised Stalin directly or indirectly
* Composers **wrote music praising him** and lived in dread of his dissaproval
* Artists and writers forced to adopt style called '**socialist realism**', glorifying ordinary workers and inspiring people with socialism
35
How did Stalin control education?
* Discipline of parents and teachers was emphasized
* Strict programmes of work set out for key subjects like maths
* History textbooks presented Stalin's view of history
* Education made free and compulsory
| This happened in early 1930's
36
How did Stalin control women?
* Women given **same educational and employment opportunites** as men
* By 1935 **42% of industrial workers were women**
* Although vast majority of women remained in relatively low-paid industrial jobs or traditional roles
* **Divorce made v. easy** and there was **abortion on demand**
* Many men however abandoned their wives when they became pregnant and in 1927, **2/3 of Moscow marriages ended in divorce**
37
What was the great retreat?
* **Regime attempted to re-impose traditional family values and discipline** by mid-1930's
* Abortion made **illegal**
* Divorce made **more difficult**
* Divorced fathers had to **pay maintenance** for thier children
* Emphasis on **motherhood and family**
* Strict laws against **protitution and sexual freedom**
| Some of these policies depleted the quality of life for many women
## Footnote
These policies slowly defeated idea of self-sufficient, independent women and could be said to completely contradict progressive nature of allowing women into industrial work
38
What was control over nationalities like in USSR?
* Stalin **regarded other nationalities with suspicion**
* In 1932 new regulation introduced requiring soviet citizens to carry **identity booklets** specifying their nationality
* In some areas whole **populations were deported** from their homes because Stalin didn't trust them - between 1935-38 **deported members of at least 9 different ethnic groups**
39
Why could you argue that Stalin had commplete control over USSR by 1941?
* During purges (mainly ended in 1938), he removed all old bolsheviks capable of forming alternative gov and replacing him as leader
* Removed main officers of army likely to cause him trouble
* Got rid of many unruly and disruptive elements in society through deportations to gulags
40
Why could you argue that Stalin didn't have complete control over the soviet union by 1941?
* Stalin found it difficult to control regions away from Moscow
* Lots of bribery and corruption - no one wanted to be accused of not fulfilling targets, so many made up figures, producing sub-par goods
* Even those higher up cheated and manipulated the system so they could escape any blame
